[nkrisc]

Advertising to pet owners is reaching absurd levels. Pet owners are now “pet parents” and the marketing is basically identical to marketing directed at new (real) parents.

While there are some surface level similarities to owning a pet and having children, it’s absurd to conflate the two as if they are equivalent.

[creata]

I don't think most people using silly terms like "pet parents" are actually conflating parenthood with caring for a pet.

[afavour]

Not most but there definitely is a weird subculture out there.

The /r/petfree subreddit is hysterical in the opposite direction at times but there is some fascinating content on there sometimes. An example: a social media post of someone mourning their child's death, folks commenting about the death of their pets as if it were comparable:

https://www.reddit.com/r/petfree/comments/1kzlt3o/people_arg...

> My three year old killed by a drunk driver. A lady said I know how you feel, my dog died last year

> Idk about you but I loved my dogs more than anything. I felt guilty for a long time bc I sobbed for days after each was put down but didn't cry at my cousin or grandfather's funeral

> I loved my dog and mom exactly the same, and their deaths both felt the same

> It's been scientifically proven that a dog death can effect you more than a human one

[absurdo]

Why would someone go out of their way to make r/petfree to demonize pet owners is beyond me. But hey, that’s the internet nowadays I guess. Rage fueled machine.

[afavour]

Well, I'd imagine they'd do it because they are frustrated with pet owners. Half the content on that sub is people bringing their dogs to places dogs shouldn't go and I share a frustration with that. I'm not about to curate an entire community dedicated to it, but still.

[nkrisc]

I don’t know what percentage are sincere about it, but I have absolutely heard it used in advertising in ways that seemed completely straight-faced.

[neutronicus]

People have pretty strong motivation to conflate the two - namely, access to privileges traditionally granted to parents.

Leaving work early to deal with kid(/dog) stuff, public spaces tolerating the presence of your loud, annoying, not-that-clean kid(/dog), an expectation of urban spaces providing places for your kid(/dog) to go to the bathroom. Etc.